Unrequited Love
by x3lovelikethisx3
Summary: Take place during the 74th Hunger Games. When Katniss first kissed Peeta in the arena, she never expected it to affect as many people as it did. But what it did was change Gale and Madge's relationship forever. One-shot!


**Author's Note:  
>Hi everyone! I have never really written anything for The Hunger Games since I kind of forgot about my FanFiction account for a while.<br>****But I got this idea for a one-shot about Gale & Madge and decided to write it. I hope you enjoy it. :)**

**Plot:  
>Take place during the 74th Hunger Games. When Katniss first kissed Peeta in the arena, she never expected it to affect as many people as it did. She never thought that it would cause any problems back home. But what it did was change Gale and Madge's relationship forever. One-shot.<strong>

* * *

><p>Madge Undersee stared down at the clock that hung in the front of her English class.<br>It read 12:01pm.  
>There were only 4 minutes left until lunch time. <em>"Only four minutes left of this torture"<em>, she thought.

Madge took a good look around the classroom.  
>The people sitting in the front of the room were paying close attention to every word that came out of the teacher's mouth. A few of the people sitting in the back are either doing work for another class or putting their head's down on their desks.<br>Madge's eye caught two girls sitting by the window. They weren't listening to what the teacher was saying.  
>Instead they were working on some of the homework questions. But they looked so close. They seemed like they were the best of friends.<p>

All Madge ever wanted was a best friend.  
>Sure, there are some people in school who she talks to. But no one close enough to call a real friend.<br>The closet person Madge ever had to a friend was Katniss Everdeen.  
>Madge and Katniss never really spend time together outside of school, but they ate lunch together every day and would always talk during class.<p>

"_Poor Katniss."_ Madge thought, _"I really hope her and Peeta win the Games."_

Unfortunately, just as Madge was finally starting to consider Katniss a real friend, she volunteered for her sister in the Hunger Games.  
>One of the only people Madge could talk to was gone!<p>

Madge glanced at the clock one more time.  
>This time it read 12:03pm.<br>"_Come on," _Madge thought, _"I just wanna get out of here."_

"Okay, you may start packing up now." the teacher said to class.

With their teacher's approval, Madge & the other students began putting their notebooks and pens into their backpacks.

"But remember students," the teacher said, "I've extended the deadline of your book report from tomorrow to next Friday. You're welcome."

Most of the class replied with a 'thank you' or 'okay'.  
>But one boy in the back of the room had a different reply.<p>

"Let me guess," the boy said, "You're extending the deadline because you'll be too busy staring at the TV wondering what will happen to Katniss and Peeta's relationship in the Games, right?"

Madge's jaw dropped as she turned back at the boy.  
>Did he actually just say that? Madge looked around at the other students.<br>None of them had the same reaction as her. They were all either giggling or smiling.  
>Even the teacher smiled at the boy.<p>

It's not like Madge didn't expect this.  
>Last night, the Games got really interesting. Katniss and Peeta teamed up as allies and shared their first kiss.<br>Madge knew that people would get excited about this. Ever since Peeta revealed his love for Katniss during his interview, it's been a big part of the Games.  
>Katniss and Peeta's parents were asked about the romance between the two in their interviews and it's been talked about in the Capitol newspapers a lot.<br>But Madge thought that people who knew Katniss and Peeta personally would be a little more worried for their lives instead of worrying about their relationship.

"_Disgusting." _Madge thought.  
>Katniss and Peeta, people that they know, are forced to fight to the death and they're smiling and thinking about their romance?<br>_"Have they completely forgotten that Peeta could die any minute?" _Madge thought, "_Or that one of the Careers could kill them both instantly?"_

Luckily, Madge didn't have to be around the rest of the class much longer because the bell for lunch rang.  
>She put her backpack on as quickly as possible and ran out the door.<br>"_The faster I'm away from these heartless people, the better." _Madge thought.

When she was farther away from the classroom, Madge began to walk to the cafeteria.  
>But as soon as Madge stepped inside the cafeteria, she instantly regretted running at first.<br>Ever since Katniss was reaped, lunch time has been Madge's least favorite part of the day.

Before the reaping, Madge and Katniss would always sit together at lunch. But now, Madge didn't have anywhere to go because she didn't really have a group of friends. Everyone already had a group of people to sit with and Madge can't join one since she doesn't know anyone well enough.  
>Madge took a look around the cafeteria. The only other person who was alone was Delly Cartwright.<br>She was sitting at one of the tables that Katniss and Madge would normally be at. Madge didn't understand why Delly was alone.  
>Delly has tons of friends. Way more than Madge.<p>

Madge tried to get a good look at Delly at her table. She was . . . crying.  
><em>"Why is she crying?" <em>Madge thought, _"Why would she have any reason to cry?"  
><em>It wasn't until Madge saw what Delly was holding when she started to understand. She was holding a picture of her & Peeta from when they were kids.  
>Everyone in school knows that Delly and Peeta used to be best friends when they were growing up. They aren't as close anymore, but they still talk to each other. Madge suddenly realized that Delly was in the same boat that she was in.<br>They were both extremely sad over the two tributes of District 12 and how they were in the Games. Delly and Madge weren't all that close with Katniss and Peeta, but they both had a special connection to them.

Just as Madge was about to go to Delly's table and sit with her, she spotted someone sitting on the front steps of the school through the window.  
>It was Gale Hawthorne, Madge's secret crush.<br>He was just sitting there alone.  
>Madge tried to get a good look at Gale's face. She couldn't see him that well, but she could recognize that he didn't look alright.<br>She knew why. Everyone knows why. Last night, Katniss kissed Peeta in the Games and everyone can tell that Gale is in love with Katniss.  
>He's in love with Katniss as much as Madge is in love with him.<p>

Whenever Madge started staring at Gale, he was always staring at Katniss.

Madge decided to forget about sitting with Delly and walked out of the cafeteria.  
>She walked through the many halls of the school until she got to the main entrance, walked out, and was on the front steps of the school.<br>When Madge was outside, she sat on the front steps next to Gale.  
>"<em>Wow. He's so gorgeous." <em>Madge thought.

It took a few seconds before Gale realized Madge was next to him and faced her.

"Oh." Gale said, while sniffing, "It's just you."

_"Wait a minute, was Gale Hawthorne just crying?" _Madge thought_.  
><em>

"I just needed some air." Gale said, while wiping his eyes.

"Gale, I'm not stupid." Madge said, "I know you were crying."

_"_What? Crying? Me? Why would I be crying?" Gale asked, while trying to let out a laugh.

"You saw the Games last night?" Madge asked.

"How could I not?" Gale responded.

"Then you saw Katniss kiss Peeta." Madge said.

"The whole country of Panem saw Katniss kiss Peeta." Gale said, "It's all anyone is talking about."

Madge didn't know what to say to Gale.  
>She couldn't tell him that everything would be alright because it probably won't.<br>Katniss and Peeta are working alone in the Games, their relationship is getting stronger every day.

She couldn't tell him that it's not a big deal because it is.  
>A kiss between Katniss and Peeta is what the Captiol has wanted since the Games began.<br>It's one of the biggest things to happen in the 74th Hunger Games.

Instead, Madge leaned closer to Gale and put her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"I know that there was a chance that this could happen." Gale confessed, "But I didn't expect it so soon. I wasn't ready to see that."

"I understand." Madge said.

"No you don't." Gale said, "How can you understand what I'm going through at all?"

Madge was taken back by what Gale had said and the tone he said it in.  
>"Gale, Katniss was my friend too." Madge said.<p>

"Barely." Gale said, "Why don't you just go back inside and leave me alone? I don't need help from some stupid little rich girl."

Gale sniffed and wiped his eyes one more time.  
>Talking about Katniss out loud had gotten him emotional again.<p>

"I am not who you think I am!" Madge defended herself, "I'm not some spoiled rich brat!"

"Yeah right." Gale scoffed, "I know your kind."

"My kind?" Madge repeated.

"Rich girls who get everything they want." Gale explained.

Gale has never had a high amount of respect for Madge.  
>He always saw her as the mayor's daughter and assumed that because of her family's high standards, she thought she was better than everyone else.<br>Whenever Gale would deliver her strawberries with Katniss, he ignored her and made sure not to speak to her.

But Madge always waited for the day when he would realize that his image of her wasn't what she was really like.  
>She hoped that one day he could see her in the same way she sees him.<p>

"You're so full of yourself!" Madge yelled, "You make all these ridiculous assumptions about people you barely know and assume that anyone not from the Seam can't be trusted!"

Gale just stared back at Madge in shock.  
>He never saw her as the type of person to act like this.<p>

"Wake up Gale!" Madge yelled, "Not everyone in District 12 are like the people in the Capitol."

For a few seconds, neither Gale or Madge said anything.  
>They both sat on the front steps in silence, waiting for the other to start talking.<p>

"Maybe if you weren't so against everyone else, you would have had your chance with Katniss a long time ago." Madge said.

"You don't know anything about me and Katniss." Gale said.

"I think I do." Madge said.

"Oh really?" Gale asked, "How do you know anything about my relationship with Katniss?"

"I already told you, I understand what you're going through." Madge explained.

"NO YOU DON'T!" Gale yelled, "I'm sorry, Madge. But you don't know what's going on with me and Katniss! I'm in love with her! And now I've lost her forever. Now I have to watch her fall in love with another guy every day! So you don't understand!"

After Gale finished talking, Madge was left with load of emotions.  
>Hurt, jealousy, anger.<br>For as long as she could remember, Madge has had a crush on Gale.  
>And now was the perfect time to let him know.<p>

"Do you know how it feels for me?" Madge yelled, "Being in love with the same person for years only to have him fall for the wrong girl?"

Gale stared back at Madge.  
>"<em>Could she be talking about . . .?" <em>Gale thought, _"No, she couldn't be talking about me."_

_"_Year after year, I've been in love with you." Madge confessed, "And year after year, you've been to hung up on Katniss to notice. So don't you dare tell me I don't understand what you're going through with Katniss and Peeta because I do!"

After she finished talking, Madge did what she has always wanted to do.  
>She leaned forward and kissed Gale.<br>At first, Gale's eyes were wide open because of how stunned he was. But as the kiss deepened, Gale closed his eyes and put his arms around Madge's waist.

With his arms around her waist and her arms around his neck, Madge couldn't have been happier.  
>It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest.<br>All she ever wanted was this right here. To share her true feelings to Gale.  
>And she finally got it.<p>

Finally, Madge slowly pulled away from Gale.  
>Now their lips were only an inch or two apart.<p>

"I love you, Gale." Madge said.

Gale was still reeling over Madge's kiss that his eyes were still closed.  
>But Madge was hoping that he heard what she said and was feeling what she was feeling.<p>

"I love you too, Katniss." Gale said.

"_KATNISS?" _Madge thought.

As soon as the words were out of Gale's mouth, his eyes immediately opened and Madge started backing away from him.  
>Before he could stop her, Madge stood up and started heading towards the door.<p>

"Wait, Madge!" Gale tried.

"No, Gale." Madge said, while facing the door, "I need to get inside."

"Madge, I'm sorry." Gale said, "I don't know what came over me."

Instead of responding, Madge continued standing in front of the door.  
>She was trying her best to hold back tears.<p>

"It's just that, Katniss is the only other girl who I've truly loved." Gale said, "So when you told me you loved me, I thought of her."

Finally, Madge couldn't take it anymore.  
>She started crying and turned around to face Gale.<p>

"Gale, I'm sorry I wasted your time." Madge said, through tears, "I guess I have to realize that my feelings for you will never be requited."

"Madge, don't cry." Gale pleaded.

"Goodbye." Madge said, before she headed inside.

As Gale was left alone to think about what just happened, he thought about everything.  
>Everything Madge just said to him, his feelings for Katniss, Madge's feelings for him, and the growing relationship between Katniss and Peeta.<p>

**THE END**


End file.
